Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness, Only Light Can Do That
by alaskanbirdfriend
Summary: When Sam goes to Lucifer's cage seeking help to stop The Darkness, he doesn't get what he expects. Looking for a sword that sounds like it never existed is impossible, but Sam is still confident he has the power to defeat Amara. After all, what could go wrong? (Set in 11x09 O Brother, Where Art Thou)
1. Chapter 1

"You know, this could all be over in an instant. All you need to do is say the magic word."

Sam shook his head jerkily from side to side. "No," Sam replied hoarsely.

Lucifer's left eye twitched. " _Fine._ Why would you be stupid enough to come here again anyways? _Just coming back for more, aren't you, Sammy?_ "

Sam swallowed.

"I came because the Darkness has been released and you can stop her." Lucifer raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Can I? How _interesting!_ Well, I shouldn't take _all_ the credit, but I suppose..." He grinned and leaned forward. "Would you like to make a deal with the Devil?"

Sam backed up against the wall of the cage, his voice shaking.

"How do we defeat Amara?"

Lucifer crossed his arms. "Straight to the point, are we? Well then, you must know it wasn't _just_ me. It _was_ my brothers as well. But it was mostly me."

He saw the look on Sam's face and rolled his eyes.

"And no, I'm not just saying that to boost my ego. You know how there's that thing, 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.' Well, I'm the light and she's the dark." He frowned, realizing what he just said. "Literally."

"What did your brothers do?"

Lucifer smiled. "I guess you could say they helped, 'flip the switch.' But there also was a weapon. A sword."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Well, do you know where it is?"

Lucifer shrugged. "Nope. Very powerful though. Monsters hate it, demons try to destroy it. I wonder why. It's indestructible. But that's only one of your problems. There is only one being in the universe that can wield it. That being is me."

Sam sighed. Their only chance at defeating Amara is saying yes to Lucifer.

"I'm not going to say yes."

"I assumed that. How pesky you humans are with stubbornness. But, lucky for you, I want Auntie Amara gone as well."

Curiosity stirred in Sam.

"Why?"

Lucifer shook his head. "That doesn't matter. While I would love for you to say yes, and I get to ride around in your skin, we're both at desperate measures here. So, I'll give you another solution."

Sam froze, warily looking at Lucifer.

"You're giving me another solution. Other than riding around in my skin."

Lucifer sighed. "I did tell you that was my preferred option. But, you, seemingly as stubborn as a mule, won't say yes, I have another."

Sam nodded, crossing his arms. "Shoot."

"The mark."

Sam paled. "What?! _"_

Lucifer shook his head, crossing his arms and looking up at the ceiling of the cage.

"You misunderstand. It's not the one you are thinking of. It's actually the complete opposite. I would be making my grace into a mark."

Sam hesitated. "Is that even possible?"

"Yes."

"Is there any side effects that I should know?"

"Well, you'll have a personal Lucifer following you." Lucifer sighed. "I suppose it would be nice to have my conscious _outside_ of the cage for once…"

Sam looked alarmed. "What? You'll be out of the cage?"

"I'm hurt, Sam! You don't want me free?" Lucifer thought about it.

"But essentially, yes. My form will remain in the cage, but my mind can follow you around if I please. I won't always be there, though. Hmm. You'll probably have some of my powers as well. I suppose that's helpful." He tapped his chin.

"And you're sure this will work. This will stop her."

Lucifer nodded, suddenly sure of himself. "Yes, I'm confident. _My_ mark shouldn't make you bloodthirsty like it did for your brother. If anything, it'll make you pure. Never mind that. But remember the sword. Only you can wield it. The jawbone is very similar. Both are powerless without their source. Will you do it?"

Sam sighed. He was probably going to make the worst decision in his life. But he had to.

"I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2

_Enochian_

Normal Dialogue

"Great."

"Wait, I want to make sure of something. You can't possess me, right?"

Lucifer shook his head, his lips pursed. "No. That would take all of my grace, sadly. Are you sure you still want to do this?"

"Yeah. So what do we do?"

Lucifer held out his hand.

"Grab my arm." Lucifer's eyes glowed blue, and a blue light spread from his arm to Sam's.

His eyes glowed blue as well, and an exact replica of the mark appeared on his arm. Sam expected it to burn, but it was just a small cooling sensation, rippling across his body. He exhaled.

"That was...interesting," Sam spoke out loud. Lucifer nodded.

"Yes. It worked perfectly. I want to test something." Sam had been staring at his arm, but now he looked up.

"What is it?"

" _Sam, do you understand me?_ " Lucifer questioned.

Sam's eyebrows knit together. Something was different about his voice. Like it had changed tones, but otherwise, it was understandable.

" _Well yeah, why not?_ "

Lucifer raised his eyebrows. " _It's Enochian."_

Sam swallowed. "Great. Just perfect." He said sarcastically.

Then Lucifer's form started to glow.

"It seems that pesky little demon _Crowley_ found a way to get you out." He grinned. "Bye bye, Sammy. See you again soon!" Lucifer winked and disappeared with a flash of light.

Sam stared at the new mark on his arm. It was exactly like The Mark Of Cain, and yet, when he put his hand on it, it glowed blue, the color of grace.

"Moose!" Crowley's voice echoed through the fake cage. The door creaked open, and Sam stepped out.

"How did you get me out?"

"Lucifer was sent back to the cage with a little help from my mother." He said the last word with distaste.

"Well, that's good."

"So, did you find any way of stopping The Darkness?"

Sam subconsciously rubbed the new mark on his skin. "Yeah, I've got something."


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, that's great. Squirrel has been wanting to talk to you."

Crowley tossed Sam his phone that he had given him.

"Thanks. You know how to get out of here, I'm assuming?"

Crowley smirked.

"Course I know, I'm the King of-"

Sam sighed.

"Yes, yes. I know all of that. Can you just get us topside?"

"Sure."

They both appeared in an alleyway.

"I'm guessing you're going to steal a car."

Sam's jaw twitched.

"Well, then. See you later, Moose." Then Crowley disappeared without a trace. Sam sighed. Then the Mark flashed blue.

" _You know, I never see the point of you working with that pesky demon. Always a nuisance._ "

Sam recognized that voice.

"Lucifer, what are you doing?"

Even though he couldn't see him, he knew Lucifer was frowning.

" _Well, enjoying my new freedom, of course. Although I can't harm anyone._ "

This time Sam was the one who frowned.

" _Why are you speaking Enochian?_ "

" _Well, now you are, so why can't I?_ "

Sam groaned. He didn't mean to slip into another language. He switched back to English.

"I'm going to call Dean and tell him I'm on my way. Just...leave me alone."

Lucifer smiled. " _If you say so, Sammy."_

Sam felt his presence disappear. He took his phone out and dialed Dean's number. Luckily, he picked up.

"Crowley-"

"Dean, it's me."

"Sam? Crowley said you were in The Cage with Lucifer."

"I _was_ in The Cage with Lucifer."

Dean's shock and anger were evident. "Sam! Why would you go back there? He tortured you in the cage last time!"

Sam sighed. "I know, but last time Amara was running free, God and the archangels stuffed her back in the box."

There was a pause. Sam thought about the new mark on his arm, how it was made from _Lucifer's_ grace. But Lucifer could help them win.

"You didn't say yes, did you?"

"Of course not! I would never do that! Not with what he did when I let him possess me before! What made you think-"

"I dunno, Sam. You just sound...troubled?"

Sam sighed. Troubled was an understatement. More like, "Panicking that you probably made the biggest mistake in the universe."

"Dean, I'm fine. I'll see you at the bunker soon."

He ended the call, not seeing if Dean had a response to that or not.

Time to steal a car.

" _You know, I could help you with that._ "

Sam put his head in his hands.

" _What, Lucifer?_ "

" _Oooh, speaking Enochian, are we now? Well, I was thinking, since you have wings-"_

Sam's head snapped up.

" _I have wings?!"_


	4. Chapter 4

Lucifer frowned.

" _Yes. You didn't notice? It's because of the grace, obviously. They are very similar to mine. I wonder why they are different. I'm guessing it's because of your soul_."

Sam looked at his back. There were six shimmering wings attached in between his shoulder blades; they were white, with small streaks of gold at the tips. He had not anticipated this.

" _What the Hell, Lucifer!?_ " Sam muttered angrily.

" _What do you mean? You're the one who agreed to this._ "

Sam glared at the air.

" _Yes, I know that. But you never said I'd have wings!_ "

" _Well, I didn't know you would! This hasn't been done before! After all, you're speaking Enochian and you don't even realize it._ "

Sam's jaw tightened.

"So, can I use them, or are they just...there?"

" _Well, they're not just for show! Imagine where you want to go, and...use them._ "

He groaned and shut his eyes, picturing the main room of the bunker. Sam could feel a pulling motion in between his shoulder blades, and he let it take him there.

Sam opened his eyes and blinked. He was standing steadily inside the bunker.

Lucifer's voice drifted throughout his head. " _Told you._ "

"Well, great. You know I don't need a voice inside my head every second of the day."

Lucifer smirks. " _If you say so, Sammy._ " His voice drifted away.

Then Dean walked into the main room. He frowned.

"You just called me, like five minutes ago."

Sam swallowed. He probably should have thought of that before teleporting. Or flying. Whatever.

Lucifer's voice whispered in his head. " _Tell him_."

"No." He didn't realize he was speaking out loud.

"No, what? No, you didn't call me? Sam, are you okay?"

Sam coughed. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. So did you get anything on defeating Amara?"

Dean's eyes narrowed. "The angels tried smiting her or whatever, and Cas went to go check. I haven't heard from him yet."

Sam sighed. Then he would have to go with the Lucifer plan.

" _I told you, Sammy. I'm your best bet._ "

Sam grumbled. "Shut up."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Are you hallucinating again? Because it sure sounds like it."

He waved his hand. "No, not hallucinating. I'm fine." Then he muttered under his breath, "Not just hallucinations. Now with the actual Lucifer."

Dean looked him warily, leaning against the table. "Sam, you've been acting weird since you got back from the cage. And I trust that you didn't say yes. Did Lucifer do something to you?"

His eyebrows scrunched up in concern.

Sam sighed. "No, he just… tried to get me to say yes. But then Crowley booted him back to the cage, with help from Rowena."

Dean shook his head and laughed bitterly. "Man, our lives are weird. You teamed up with a demon and a witch, to get help from Satan. At least Lucifer isn't up here. That would be a nightmare, with both Lucifer and Amara."

Sam laughed nervously. "Yeah."

" _What a nightmare that would be, Sammy, having me up here!_ " Lucifer smirked, his voice echoing in Sam's head.

The mark glowed with Lucifer's grace.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam shuddered, rubbing his forearm.

Then Castiel appeared.

"Dean, Amara-"

He spotted him standing there. The angel blade slid into his hand. Castiel could see Lucifer's grace, swirling around in Sam.

He got shoved into the wall, the blade pressed into his throat.

Dean stopped leaning against the table, running towards Sam and Castiel.

"What the Hell, Cas? What's going on?"

Castiel ignored him.

" _Lucifer!"_ He snarled in Enochian.

Sam paled. He had forgotten that angels could recognize another angel's grace. And the grace inside him was Lucifer's. Great.

Then he thought of something. His eyes glowed blue.

" _Castiel. I am not Lucifer._ "

Castiel's eyes narrowed, untrusting. " _Prove it._ "

Lucifer's voice danced in Sam's head. " _I told you that you would have to show them eventually. Guess that time is now!"_

Sam sighed and closed his eyes, thinking. Trying to find a way out of this. He couldn't think of one.

" _Castiel, let me down."_

Sam had the power to shove him off, but he didn't want to harm his friend.

Castiel warily let Sam down, still directing the angel blade towards him.

Dean was watching all of this with confusion. He tried to step forward, but Castiel intervened.

"Okay, can someone just tell me what is going on?"

He hadn't understood the conversation between Sam and Castiel, for it was in Enochian.

Castiel looked at Sam with cold fury, then switched his focus to Dean.

"It could be Lucifer." He spat, in English this time.

Dean's eyes widened in shock.

"What!? Then why did you just let him go?!"

"Because he said he isn't Lucifer. I'm giving him one chance to prove himself, or else I am going to stab him."

Castiel directed that last part to Sam, knowing he was watching this fiasco.

Sam swallowed. One chance.

Hopefully, this could prove it.

He rolled up his sleeve, exposing the mark.

" _Castiel, I am not Lucifer because of this."_


	6. Chapter 6

Sam's eyes were still glowing a bright blue, but so was the mark.

Castiel looked taken aback, with shock as the one very clear emotion on his face.

Dean, however, looked furious. "Is he Lucifer or not? And why does he have The Mark Of Cain?"

Castiel turned his head to Dean, although not taking his eyes off Sam. "No. It is not Lucifer, but that is also not The Mark Of Cain."

"Well, who is it then?"

Sam sighed, his eyes returning to his normal color. He rolled his sleeve back up, and the light coming from the mark extinguished.

"Dean, it's me."

"Yeah, and you just happen to know how to speak whatever language that was-"

Castiel answered for him. "The language is Enochian."

"Enochian. How would you just somehow become fluent in Enochian?"

Castiel looked warily at Sam for one last time, then answered Dean's question.

"It is because that mark is not the one you are thinking of. Instead of The Darkness, it is made of Lucifer's grace."

Time seemed to freeze. There was only silence.

"Sam, I'm going to ask one more time, and don't you dare lie to me again. What. Happened. In. The. Cage." Dean asked stiffly.

Sam looked at Dean with pain. He explained everything that happened, except for the parts about having a personal Lucifer and his powers.

He could see that Dean was going to explode.

"Dean, this could help stop Amara. He said that there was a sword."

"Sam, he could have been lying, for all we know! What if there is no weapon?!"

Sam looked uncomfortably at Dean. He didn't think about that.

" _Sammy, I'm ashamed! Don't you remember when I said I'd, 'Never tell a lie?' Hmmm?_ "

He sighed. "Dean, he wasn't lying. He told me that-" He put his head in his hands. "He told me that he'd never tell a lie."

Dean was still looking murderously at him. "Sam, really? Trusting Satan himself-"

"Dean, I'm sorry, okay? I'm going to go…take a break." Then he vanished.

Castiel looked worriedly at Dean. "You are not okay."

Dean sighed. "Goddammit Cas, of course, I'm not okay! First of all, Sam probably just did something as bad as saying yes, and then somehow, he disappears-"

"He flew off."

"Well, yes, I know that. He had to have run off somewhere."

"No, Dean, I mean he quite literally flew. He has wings."


	7. Chapter 7

Dean had been giving Sam a headache, literally. He could feel the emotions coming off Dean.

Although Sam had said that he wanted to take a break, he hadn't meant to fly off.

He was sitting on someone's stairs, wings folded against his back. Although humans couldn't see them, Sam could, and he could very much _feel_ them as well.

Lucifer's presence wasn't inside his head right now, as he was probably brooding in the cage. It gave Sam time to think without an intruder popping in his head every second.

He put his head in his hands, gold and white wings unfurling to curl around him. There were six of them in total.

Just like an archangel's.

Sam sighed. Great. This was almost exactly like Ruby.

But…Lucifer had promised not to lie, which means he really _was_ trying to help defeat Amara.

If only he could explain that to Dean.

He got up from the stairs he was sitting on. The wings folded back, and he walked slowly on a pathway that led to a park across the street.

No one was here, for it was nighttime.

Sam turned a corner, seeing a bench underneath the trees. The cool night air rustled the leaves. It was very peaceful.

He sat down, crossing one leg over the other, and looking up at the stars. It seemed like they were all twinkling individually.

He heard a quiet rustle of feathers next to him, and he could somehow sense it was Castiel.

" _Hey, Cas_."

He didn't seem to have his angel blade out. Castiel tilted his head, looking at Sam.

" _You are using Enochian."_

Sam smiled at Castiel without humor in his eyes. " _Well, there really isn't any point in not doing it, is there? I mean,"_ Sam grimaced. " _We both understand it."_

Castiel frowned. " _You are not happy about having grace inside of you."_

" _No, of course not! It's Lucifer's grace after all-"_

Sam had gotten up from the bench, with his hands in his pockets, as his wings did all the gesturing for him.

" _Sam."_ Castiel said tentatively, " _I do not think that Lucifer's grace would make you evil. It is his personality, not his grace."_

Then Sam remembered something Lucifer had said in the cage. Something he had almost forgotten. It echoed around in his head. 

" _My_ mark shouldn't make you bloodthirsty like it did for your brother, Dean. If anything, it'll make you pure."


	8. Chapter 8

Sam swallowed, looking back down at Castiel, who was still seated on the bench, head tilted in confusion.

"Sam? Are you okay?"

Castiel was starting to get up, worried. Sam took a small step back, hands shaking.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Cas, I just - I'm going to go. Somewhere. Just...meet Dean back at the bunker, okay? I'll be there soon."

Before he had a chance to say anything, Sam spread out three enormous pairs of golden and white wings.

Castiel held an arm up in front of his eyes, blocking out the bright glare. He squinted.

There is a reason Lucifer is called the Morningstar.

Sam's eyes flicked to Castiel's shielded face, and the wings behind him flapped.

"Sam, wait!"

He was gone, probably far off on some mountaintop, before Castiel could utter another word. With a mildly annoyed expression, he turned around, heading to the nearest bus stop.

Dean had been storming around the main room of the bunker, phone tightly clenched in one hand, and nails digging into the palm of the other.

As he heard quiet footsteps approaching him, he turned around.

"Cas? Thank God, is Sam okay?"

Castiel's eyebrows furrowed, contemplating his next word choice.

"He is...adjusting? It is hard to tell."

Dean leaned forward on a table, pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighed.

"Cas, where did he go?"

Castiel tilted his head, narrowing his eyes in thought.

"I do not know. I think he felt troubled."

Dean bit his lip, annoyed. Castiel slowly walked forward towards him, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Dean. He cannot be possessed if that is what you are concerned about. Some of Lucifer's grace still remains in the cage."

His watched Dean's expression, waiting to see what he would do, but Dean only relaxed by an inch.

"I hope to God what you say is true, Cas, because otherwise, we're doomed. But come on, Sam! Making a deal with the Devil?"

Castiel looked away, contemplating. "I am not saying what Sam did was right, but Lucifer did help defeat Amara. He is currently the only chance we have."

Dean glared at him. "Not you too!"

Castiel opened his mouth to defend himself, but as he did, Sam flew into the room at the same time, wings twitching excitedly.

"Guys, I think I got something."


	9. Chapter 9

After Sam had flown away from Castiel to land in who knows where, he had sat down on a rock at the entrance of a cavern and curled his wings over himself in shame, holding his face in his hands. He had run away, again.

" _You know, out of all the places on Earth, I never expected you to pick this place_."

The voice was coming from his left. Sam jerked his head in that direction, flinching when he saw the image of Lucifer in Nick's body. A replica of the wings on Sam's back was now on Lucifer's.

" _How are you able to-_ "

" _Manifest? You prayed._ "

Sam's eyes widened as he swallowed slowly, digging his fingers into the rock beneath them, not realizing he was crushing bits of it to dust.

" _I did not-_ "

Lucifer shrugged, indifferent, as he leaned forward to get up and look around at the place Sam had brought him.

" _Maybe you didn't, consciously, at least. But your soul certainly did._ "

" _I-_ "

Sam stopped talking as his wide eyes followed Lucifer, who was currently wandering around aimlessly.

" _Where are we?_ " He spoke in a rough tone, his voice echoing faintly inside the cave walls. There was a small, partially frozen stream running down the ledge they were both standing on. Vines curled around the entrance.

Lucifer raised his eyebrows, and turned to Sam, forgetting about the small plant he had been admiring.

" _You're telling me you don't remember?_ "

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion.

" _I don't-I've never been here. I don't even know where_ here _is!_ "

Now it was Lucifer's turn to be confused. He stepped closer to Sam, while Sam stepped farther away.

" _Of course, you've been here, Sam. It's where you were born._ "

He frowned, about to object that he was most definitely born in a hospital, but then Lucifer waved a hand towards him, shaking his head in dismissal, effectively shutting Sam up.

" _No, no, no, Sam. I'm not talking about your body. I'm talking about your soul._ "

Sam took in a sharp breath. His eyes scanned the lush green of forest surrounding them and the stream that trickled down the cliff and into the clouds below them. Apparently, they were in a very elevated place.

" _I…_ " He didn't know what to say to that statement. How do you react to someone telling you that you're in the very place you were created?

A red berry was flicked towards his nose. Sam rubbed it, annoyed. He looked down at the berry, then back up at Lucifer in frustration.

" _Lucifer, what the hell?_ "

" _Stop contemplating your existence, Sam. There are less complicated things to worry about_."

Sam squinted at him with confusion. Lucifer was crossing his arms, now turned to face Sam.

" _That's…not…whatever. We need some way to defeat Amara. You said there was a sword. Do you know where it is? I mean unless you were lying-_ "

A quick flap of wings, Lucifer was suddenly in his face, snarling with rage. The mark pulsed bright blue, a chilling tinge creeping up Sam's arm.

" _I. Did not. Lie._ "

Sam's eyes widened with fear, swallowing slowly, as his wings lowered to hide behind his back. He stood there, frozen, waiting for Lucifer to hurt him, to kill him, to push him off the ledge, anything. He had gotten too comfortable, forgetting that his partner was the Devil, that he was a maniac intent on killing humanity.

Lucifer looked away, down at the ground, in what seemed to be…shame? No, that couldn't be it. The icy burn faded from his arm, and Lucifer's wings reached towards Sam's, seemingly trying to console him, but Sam's wings fluttered away in terror.

" _I…Sam. I had my sword when I fell. It slipped out of my grasp. I do not know where on Earth it went. It could be resting on the highest mountain, or lying in the deepest sea. The possibilities are not endless, but to you, they may feel like it._ "

Sam looked at Lucifer, still wary. " _Could you…_ " He coughed. " _Could you help?_ "

He sighed, looking worriedly up at Sam. " _There were Enochian runes on the sword. Perhaps showing you them could help you find it._ " He held his hand up to press it to Sam's, but Sam jumped back quickly.

" _What are you going to do to me?_ " His voice hardened, clutching his arm tightly in precaution.

" _I will put the runes on your palm. It will feel like nothing more than a tattoo._ "

He narrowed his eyes at Lucifer, tentatively giving his hand over. Lucifer slammed his palm onto Sam's, and they both flashed with a white glow.

Sam quietly hissed in pain as he took back his hand quickly, scanning the Enochian writing.

 _Blade of The Morningstar_

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, he looked up at Lucifer's pinched face.

" _Why couldn't you just have handed this to me on a piece of paper? Why burn it on me instead?_ "

Lucifer tilted his head in a way reminiscent of Castiel, then spoke.

" _Burned into your flesh and blood with grace is much more powerful than a measly piece of paper. One of the good things about it is only you will be able to read it._ "

Sam frowned.

" _What good is that?_ "

Lucifer raised his eyebrows in surprise, and Sam flinched back. He should have known not to talk back.

" _My sword has been searched for by many powerful beings. None of them have found it. You are the only person who has gotten help from the bearer itself. You would be followed, tracked, and killed by others if they knew what you were searching._ "

" _What about Cas?_ "

Lucifer's eyes glazed over, still staring absent-mindedly at Sam's palm. " _Ah, yes, Castiel. That little angel. I still don't understand 'assbutt'. Nevertheless, you will know instinctively how to use your grace to let him see._ "

Sam's face was pinched in confusion. " _I…okay._ "

Lucifer gazed at him. " _I will leave. Let them know of the runes._ "

Sam's eyes widened, looking down at their new information. They could find the sword and defeat the Darkness! The wings resting on his back reacted to his excitement and flared up.

Lucifer turned to leave, probably to go brood in the cage, but then he turned back to Sam.

" _Sam…_ " Sam looked up to Lucifer's pain-filled face. " _I know why you ended up here._ "

He took in a sharp breath, eyes tracing Lucifer's expression in shock. " _You heard my conversation._ "

" _With Castiel. Yes, I did. I also heard the end. Sam, I know you believe so, but your soul is not ruined. It is scarred, perhaps, and that is my doing, but it is not ruined._ "

Sam snorted in disbelief. He had drunk demon blood, he had been in cahoots with Ruby, started the apocalypse, hell, Sam even let Lucifer out of his cage. For the second time. Lucifer read Sam easily, his thoughts echoing onto his face.

" _I believe in what Castiel said, Sam. My wings are naturally white. Now they are streaked with gold. It is because of your soul. I may be the brightest angel, Sam, but you are the brightest soul._ "

Sam swallowed. " _Lucifer, I didn't-_ "

He looked up, but Lucifer had already disappeared. Sam knew he should've felt happy in that moment, having the runes on his palm, having information, but all he felt was a deep loneliness in his chest, aching for a lost friend. He huffed, and flew towards the bunker whilst putting on a fake smile, and shoved away all thoughts of Lucifer's pain-filled gaze.


	10. Chapter 10

Castiel looked up from Dean to Sam, who was lightly rubbing his palm. He frowned.

"Sam, what have you found?"

Sam bit his lip, glancing down at the faintly glowing mark on his forearm.

"Well, I got some help-"

Dean butted into the conversation, glaring.

"What, from your new friend _Lucifer_ , is that it?" He sneered, not caring about the quick flash of pain in his brother's eyes. "Planning on helping him start the apocalypse again? Maybe go back to drinking demon blood? You know, after all this time, I thought I could trust you!"

Sam's eyes widened with shock, wings trembling and curling around him as he stepped backward. He swallowed.

"No, Dean, I would never-"

Dean stepped closer towards him, pointing an accusing finger at Sam's chest.

"Really? Because it seems that you're the one who made the decision to be all buddy-buddy with your ol' pal Lucifer! When did you ever think that becoming friends with Satan was a good idea-"

Castiel stepped forward and placed his hand tightly on Dean's shoulder.

"Dean. You should calm down." His voice was hard.

Dean shrugged it off, angry.

"No, Cas! Am I the only one with common sense? Hell, for some reason you think it isn't the worst idea ever!"

Dean glared at both of them, then grabbed a beer from the table and walked out.

There was a heavy silence, filled only with the quiet sound of breathing.

After watching Dean leave, Sam jerked his head over to look at Castiel, surprise coloring his features. His eyebrows furrowed.

" _You defended me?_ " His voice came out rough.

Castiel nodded slowly.

" _I can assure you, Sam, worse plans that do include Lucifer have come to mind. This is, by far, not the worst._ "

Sam rubbed his forehead with the base of his palm, sliding a chair out from the table and sitting down.

" _...I am not sure I want to know what you were planning, Cas._ "

Castiel frowned, thinking.

" _Several of them include possession. But that is not something we need to worry about. Not now. What have you found?_ "

Sam's wings shifted. He stopped rubbing his forehead and removed his hand.

" _Dean...was right. Lucifer did help me. I should not have...nevermind._ " He sighed. He held his palm out as Castiel came over to look. " _Have you ever seen these symbols before? Anywhere on Earth?_ "

The Enochian script ran across Sam's hand, the intricate design twisting every which way.

" _I cannot read these, Sam."_

" _Oh. Right. Sorry._ "

Hesitantly, Sam reached out two fingers over to Castiel's head, letting the grace flow through him on instinct.

Castiel's eyes flashed blue, and as the light died down, he took Sam's hand, scanning each and every rune for information. His eyes widened with shock, gripping Sam by the wrist tightly.

" _Are you sure these are the correct symbols?_ "

Sam got up quickly, frowning.

" _I...yes? Lucifer was the one to put them here. What is wrong?_ "

Castiel bit his lip, eyeing the symbols splayed out on Sam's hand.

" _I have seen these before._ "

Sam's expression changed into one of shock and confusion.

" _Where? How? Shouldn't someone have taken Lucifer's sword by now?"_

Castiel shook his head.

" _No. These Enochian symbols are legible, now. And in order. When I saw them last, I merely saw scrambled runes and let them be. But, if what you say is true, then...then the sword is hidden in plain sight._ "

Sam's face was pinched together in confusion.

" _Wouldn't other angels have been curious to know what the symbols were?_ "

Castiel pursed his lips, sighing.

" _They would not have done something that was not given to them in direct orders. Myself, however...I was curious, yes. Another cause of Naomi's...influence."_

Sam swallowed, looking horrified.

" _So what, you discovered these symbols that nobody could translate, and then you were unfairly sent to the time-out corner?_ "

" _I...yes?_ " Castiel paused at the unfamiliar term.

" _Nevermind. Do you know where you found these runes?_ "

Castiel squinted. " _It was before humans. Before they came to Earth. Near where Lucifer had fallen. In what I believe to be present-day Wyoming._ "

" _Does that mean the sword itself is as big as Wyoming?_ "

Castiel shook his head once again, finally letting go of Sam's wrist.

" _No. Even so, the sword is probably extremely large on your scale. For angels, it is normal. I believe it is encased in a large rock formation. Specifically located in what you currently call...Devil's Tower?_ "


	11. Chapter 11

Sam pursed his lips.

" _Castiel, are you-_ " He coughed. " _Are you joking?_ "

Castiel frowned in confusion. " _I would not joke about such an important matter._ "

Sam pulled a chair over and sat down, putting his face in his hands. A bitter laugh escaped his mouth.

" _The name. 'Devil's Tower.' That has got to be some sort of sick joke._ "

Castiel shifted, worried, but dragged a chair from the table as well. Sitting down in front of Sam, he clasped his hands together.

" _It is merely a coincidence. We must focus on the matter at hand. Amara grows stronger the longer we wait_. _We must retrieve the sword as soon as possible._ "

Sam finally looked up at Castiel, weary.

" _How am I even supposed to defeat Amara? I went to the cage to get help, I was so desperate,_ _I did get help, and now Dean hates me so much he decided to leave-_ "

" _I can assure you, Dean does not,_ " Castiel growled, his voice hard. " _Perhaps he is annoyed or frustrated, but he does_ not _hate you. You are his brother._ "

Sam smiled sadly and shook his head, putting his hand on Castiel's shoulder.

" _You know what, never mind."_

Castiel scowled at the statement. He opened his mouth to argue, concerned, but Sam waved him off disinterestedly. Castiel's jaw clenched, but he allowed Sam to continue.

" _It does not matter. Devil's tower, as you say, is holding the sword. How would I retrieve it? The entire thing is at least five thousand feet tall-_ "

" _It is exactly 5,112 feet tall."_ Castiel interrupted. " _But that is irrelevant. The sword is on another plane of existence. Even if you could dig into the middle, you would not find any glimpse of it._ "

Sam stood up and turned around, running his hands through his hair despairingly. He sighed and glanced back at Castiel, weary.

" _What, then? Do we give up hope? Change our course of action?_ "

Castiel frowned, tilting his head to the side.

" _Of course not, Sam. Why would we do that?_ "

Sam huffed a breath, annoyed, and glared at Castiel.

" _Okay, if you are so sure, what is your solution?_ "

" _Well, I had thought of a plan..._ " Castiel peered down at the ground as he spoke, contemplating his own words. " _It is the most agreeable, and it is the easiest."_

Sam eyed the other with curiosity. " _What is your plan?_ "

Castiel finally looked up. His head was tilted in confusion as if wondering why Sam didn't figure it out sooner.

" _Why, using our true forms, of course."_


End file.
